A Freudian Slip
by GlitterTech
Summary: A Freudian slip is, in a nutshell, saying one thing when you meant something else. Except for the fact that that's a terrible definition.


Currently standing in the grassy area just outside Kaede's hut, two demonic members of the Inugang were having a friendly argument. Shippo knew Inuyasha would let him tag along, and Inuyasha knew that he was just worried about Shippo's safety, but you know, appearances. Gotta keep 'em up.

"So, I promise, that if you let me go with you guys, I'll run and hide or find help or whatever you want me to do. I don't like being left alone anymore. " Shippo mumbled the last bit, digging his toe into the hard-packed earth.

"Do you swear on you ancestors' graves that you will do what we ask of you when there's trouble?" Inuyasha asked, his fists on his hips.

"Yes, I promise, may the Kami strike me down if I forsake our sacred agreement," Shippo said solemnly, bowing in not-quite-mock-seriousness.

"Well, you really shouldn't ever say serious things like that, they usually come back to bite you in the butt, but fine. Yes, you can come."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! I promise, you won't regret this Fath-" Clinging to Inuyasha's left leg, the kitsune's eyes widened to rival even futuristic baseballs, and he looked up at Inuyasha with those huge eyes now filled with tears. Inuyasha, still shocked, barely registered in his lizard brain what Shippo had said. Following only his basest instincts, Shippo ran away crying, leaving Inuyasha to stare blankly.

_Damn, when Shippo want to run and hide, he can really run away and hide, _Inuyasha mused, sniffing through the forest as he looked for Shippo. About ten minutes after the shock and confusion had worn off, Inuyasha started looking for him. He was worried that Shippo wouldn't be able to handle himself, but he had probably thought wrong. The little brat had zigzagged all over the place, crossed over the little brook burbling though the forest multiple times, climbed trees and rocks, and even left some of his magic toys under outcroppings and in holes. Inuyasha was actually having a hard time, experiencing a challenge, and if it wasn't such a bad time, he would have enjoyed the first real puzzle he'd had in a long time.

The disgruntled hanyou plopped down under a tree close to the entrance of his forest, and waited. And waited, waited a little bit more, waited, and waited some more. And then, his hours of nerve-grating patience _finally_ paid off.

A rustle of leaves, a bump, a stumble, and a muttered swear. Inuyasha sighed and got up, casually walking over to where Shippo was trying to disentangle himself from a stubborn tree root. Shippo's eyes grew wide again as his lower lip began to tremble. Inuyasha sighed again, and motioned to a good-sized tree. He leaned against the tree before sliding all the way down, his eyes only about a foot above Shippo's.

"Now-"

"I'm not upset about offending you; I'm upset about offending my father!" Shippo wailed, his eyes flickering from the hanyou's face to the forest floor. "My father died an honorable death, defending his pack, and how do I repay him? By forgetting all about him and calling a hanyou not even old enough to bear pups a sacred title reserved for my real father?" Inuyasha sighed, and picked up the crying kitsune and put him in his lap.

"I know what you're saying. I never knew my father. I know what he was like, based on all the glory-stories that people told me, but I don't know how he would've acted around me and my family. Maybe he could have been totally different, I dunno. I try not to think about it. But you knew your dad. You knew what he was like, and how he treated the people around him and stuff. It was a lot harder on you to lose him, because you knew him so well. You wanted someone to call 'father' again, someone you could look up to and trust and make proud. I think… I'm… glad you can feel that way with me." He looked carefully at Shippo, to see if he wasn't totally making up random bullshit. From the look on Shippo's face, he had hit the nail on the head.

"And I'm not offended. Don't give me that look, I know you're thinking it. I'm not nearly as bothered as you think I am. I know that your dad would be proud of what you're doing. Helping find the Shikon Jewel shards, to defeat Naraku, I don't see how anyone wouldn't be proud of you. I'm sure your dad misses you too, because a little punk like you is very easy to get used to," Inuyasha said, giving Shippo a light noogie at the end of his statement.

"S-so, are you sure? I-I mean, if you never want to talk about this again, I understand-"

"Nah, it's fine. We just don't need to, ya know? We already know why you said it, I understand and don't hold it against ya', and you're gonna get over it someday. What else is there to talk about?"

"Okay then, b-but only if you're absolutely sure you won't blackmail me with this," Shippo said stubbornly. Inuyasha laughed, rubbing Shippo's head.

"There's tons better stuff to blackmail you with. Maybe when me and Kagome are living together after we defeat Naraku, you can live with us too and **really** call us 'Mom' and 'Dad,' if you're comfortable with that." There was a moment of silence, one of shock from Shippo and one of casual unknowingness from Inuyasha before the hanyou's eyes bugged out of his head. Shippo got up and ran as quickly as he could back to the campsite, Inuyasha hot on his heels.

"Come back here you little brat!"

"No! I have to see Kagome's reaction to this! You'll never catch me, _old man_!"

"_WAIT SHIPPO, NO! SHE'S GONNA KILL ME FOR THIS!"_

_And, cue cheesy ending! I started this a really long time ago, but just fixed up all the obvious mistakes today. Cheers._


End file.
